Welcome to Gaia! ::

Stef was already inside sitting by the fire, staring into the flames and warming her hands. Saish put up her warning spells with a pull of a thread. Sitting next to the child she also lost her thoughts to the flame. She was startled when the girl pulled on her sleeve.

“When will we eat?” she asked so softly that Saish wasn’t even sure that she even said a thing stef was somewhat scared and was not sure if she broached some unspeakable topic.

“I’m sorry child; it has been a very long time since I’ve had anyone living with me.” She smiled weakly as she got up and prepared a small stew with ingredients and herbs that would help to empower the child for the next test that was to come.

“Now child, I can not keep calling you that. Are you aware of your true name?” Saish asked giving the child a serving that the child started to eat right away.

“No, I’m not I haven’t reached my majority yet.” The child said, already half of the bowl was gone, and saish ladled more into her bowl.

Saish smiled “When you are apprenticed you receive your true name those of magic get theirs sooner than their majority, but you have to go through something a little different than others in the village would do. You do not need to go to the village mage for your name.” Saish reached up to a black box on a shelf moving the bowl aside and placed it on the table in front of the child.

“Those with majick go through a ceremony in which they travel with their new masters to the hub of whatever element they belong to along the way they are tested and taught. You have been taught some by your father, and tested by me.. Do you know where the elements lay?” saish asked

“The lay of fire is the molten land to the north where volcano's erupt every day, and the land shifts and changes constantly. The lay of earth is the ever forest of Matra where we are. It’s a place that constantly grows no matter how much is cut, but it is wild and untamed and only few people dare to enter and travel within it. The lay of water is the cold south plain where the ice stays and never melts no matter how much fire is put to it. The ice stays frozen even if it is moved to other lands, though it slowly melts. The lay of wind is the towers of the east isle where the winds are always raging never stopping. But from there you can reach anywhere in the world.” Saish smiled at her knowledge, her father had taught her well and the child smiled back glad that she had remembered them all correctly.

“Other than to visit the lay’s and appreciate the elements that make up our universe they must go in front of their magi and declare their name and receive their true name from a box of challenge. They then tell their true name to the magi. This way the magi’s can control whoever may cause problems. All true names are known to the magi and to the 5 head mage’s. The only way you can practice true majick is to know your own true name as it is the connection to the element.” saish explained finally taking the gloves that had been on her hands since she had got her in the village off and set them aside.

“But the magus of the woods is not here, he hasn’t been here for years though, how am I supposed to practice then?” The child asked

“Yes, and that is just one of the many problems with the Terra magi’s especially that one.” Saish sighed shaking her head. “But we need not go to him for that, there are other challenge boxes. And I have the one that was meant for you.” Saish had a glimer of hope in her eyes when she said that, as well as a slight worried look.

“Meant for me?” the child asked confused

“Yes, you need only place your hand on the box and…”To her horror and before Saish could finish her sentence the child egerly reached out and placed her hands on the box

so anyone's thoughts on whats going to happen?

hum, somewhat.
i've been working on it a little (its my anti bump XD) and its a little foggy how it will go about.

((pounded this out so I don't leave you in suspense for too long once i figured out what would be inside it kinda just flowed))

Stef woke up from a pounding headache that was fierce; when she opened her eyes though she found that she was no longer in the home of Saish but in a gray hall with many turns and paths. She sat there, stunned, unsure of what to do. She thought on what Saish had just told her.

“This is a challenge box; I’m inside the box, somehow. I have to know my true name to get out of here obviously, and this box was meant for me.” She stood up from the floor and noticed that there were paths on the ceiling as well as in the floor.

“I’ll just have to be careful and not drop into those holes.” She wondered about the area, trying to figure out the place and to make sence of the maze, for that is the only thing that it could be. She was feeling a strange pull however when she neared an opening from the main hall that she arrived at. And as everything seemed as though it was the same, and she wouldn’t get anywhere staying at one place she decided to follow the urge. Following the twisting turns and odd halls that would seem to loop around she felt that she finally was nearing the center, how she did not know herself for sure.

Finally turning around a corner she saw a large cube floating in the center of a room, she knew somehow she felt that this was what she was supposed to find. She saw similar ones down different paths but they weren’t for her. She also knew that she had to find a way to get inside the cube as well, how she was not sure. She tried to walk around the cube but she found that it was facing her continually. Finding that she was getting warm and not wanting to get herself dirty she took off the cloak and sat on it for awhile trying to figure out what to do. She knew that there wouldn’t be anyone around to help her in this situation that she was alone and had to figure this out herself.

Finally, she got up in disgust with herself after not being able to come up with anything. Walking away she noticed that the room actually turned. Looking around to see if maybe she pressed a button somehow she noticed that she had left her cloak on the floor. “That’s it! I have to have something at all sides in order for me to enter in the room!” she said in her excitement out loud.

Quickly she returned to the cloak and proceeded to tear it up into strips leaving on at each side of the cube till the top and the bottom were left. There still was no door though. She gave a huge sigh, she was sure that she had finally figured out how to get into the room. Then she noticed that she had yet to put anything on the bottom or the top of the cube, that maybe that was what it took. She took one of the strips and tore it into three strips tossing one strip underneath the cube and one on top. Still nothing, this frustrated her to no end.

“Maybe I have to open it as I had to with the door to Saish’s house.” She said to herself starting to grasp at solutions, she started to calm herself to listen to her heart as she had done before, to seek the knowledge that her heart would sometimes whisper into her head. Then she realized that she had yet to touch the cube after the strips were placed; she had expected that a door might just appear after making the cube still but what if the cube’s side was the door? She touched all the sides her fingers warmed by the cube, and found the door finally a little crack betraying itself. She pried it open with her fingers. It opened into a room that was brightly lit with lots of old things inside. It was furnished quite warmly, contrast to the maze, with its many old wooden desks and chairs in one corner there were some big tomes, she knew that to touch them might bring trouble for herself. However She noticed though that there was a letter on the desk.

To the one that traverses the maze and enters into this room, I greatly respect and fear for you for no one was supposed to get here except for one whose power is on par with my own, you maybe the next Warrior Magi. Your destiny will be uncertain for no one person can truly teach you all that you must know. There may not be another that power will make yours if you are not already, go to the capital of Sartorn[1] and present yourself to the grand magus he or she will educate you hopefully, until then take care the only name I can give you however is my own, Anaria (An-are-e-a).

She finished and was grateful to finally know her true name, it empowered her somehow to read the name, next to it was a strange symbol and she memorized the symbol. She inspected the room a little closer she found two swords they were rusty but usable. All the people in the village knew how to weld a sword and a dagger and when you were 12 you have to get a sword or some kind of weapon so Chrissy grabbed it and grabbed anything else that she saw would be useful. Then she felt that it was time to leave the room, that there was nothing else that she would need in the room, her pack was filled with the tomes from the shelf and other odd trinkets. She headed out, following her heart through the maze till she ended up in a dead end. Frustrated that there was yet another puzzle.

Stefana touched the wall attempting to see what would make it open when, it started to glow a soft green and then she was suddenly lying in a bed with the box still in her hands. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. She tried to stir to get up but a hand suddenly pushed her down.

“Do not move at all.” Saish said in a tone that would make a starving dog stop from eating. “Do not speak yet either, you have been within the maze for quite a few days,” that shocked stefana greatly. Saish grabbed a bowl and dipped it into the pot of broth that was near the hearth, giving it to Stefana to drink, wiping away the amount that escaped from the greedy lips.

“Rest for now, and try to bring up your strength for you will need it.” Saish had made sure that she had put in Valerian root and some chamomile to ease her to sleep it would not do for the child to be awake just yet, she would need her mind to rest. She removed the box placing it in the shelf and returned to the book she was studding.

lol its ok, i knew that it had to be a puzzle box. but i couldent figure out if i wanted it to be like a rubix cube for the center or not... did the center room's puzzle sound ok or did it sound lame?

Its very interesting and unusual as well. I look forward to reading more of it.